Snow Blood (Season 3)

Snow Blood, Kindred dog of Brogio, the first Vampire, has faced dangers and intrigues alongside his Master—defeating the threats that assault them time and time again.

Now, another evil looms, one more powerful and daunting than any they have known before. This time, the threat may separate him from all he loves… forever. While fighting for the existence he has grown to love, Snow Blood is challenged to prevent a plan to enslave his family and the entire vampire nation.

As Snow Blood’s pack struggles to uncover a mysterious disappearance, a hidden truth about Kane, Brogio’s eldest blood son, is revealed. Now only Kane is able to prevent their impending fate and reunite them all.

Other Books by Carol

Excerpt

EPISODE ONE : Suspicion

The frigid Nova Scotia snow crunched under my paws. I cared little about it since vampires don’t feel cold. Nova, my heart’s desire, walked with a naked Kane, my human vampire brother, in front of me as we foraged the woods surrounding my master Brogio’s Wolfville Wine Estate. My last two kills had sated me, and I was more focused on the sway in the she-wolf’s walk than on chasing more prey.

Kane’s telepathic thoughts slipped into my mind. Father and Selene should return from Italy in the next few nights. I think—

Nearby blood-curdling howls shattered Kane’s comment. They were not familiar calls to me. I mentally shot a warning to my wolf pack, all my progeny, who had broken off to chase down an Eastern Cougar.

Kane, Nova and I went into reflex action, placing our backsides together in a three-pronged circle. A few eager moments passed. Three giant black snarling Rottweilers suddenly faced us. Foamy saliva dripped from bared teeth. Red eyes glowed in the darkness. I bared my own fangs, feeling my body growing into my demon-self. I quickly glanced behind me. Kane had shapeshifted into a huge black bear with elongated claws. Nova began to morph into a fiery red demon with three rows of fangs. She shook and sparks flew off her enlarged dragon form, melting the snow under her.

I turned to face the vicious creature approaching me from the scattered trees to the north of us. He took a few thunderous steps in my direction, leaped and vanished into the dark sky with the other two just as they sailed over our heads. The three of us instinctively jumped into the air, trying to catch them by the legs, but all three had somehow disappeared before we could touch them.

I hit the ground with a thud and bumped into the demonized Nova, yelping at the fiery contact. I could feel the scruff on the back of my neck ignite. Kane’s bear form behind me shook the surrounding trees with its weight. Tree branches heavy with snow deposited their burden on us, dampening the flames from my fur. An acrid residue of rotten eggs assaulted my nose and lingered in a cloud around us. Transitioning back into naked human form, Kane began to speculate aloud. He always had an answer to everything. Our maker and master, Brogio, had once referred to Kane as “Mr. Wikipedia,” and I often affectionately called him that.

“My gods!” He held his nose. “That stink they left behind is sulfur.”

What were those things? I asked Kane with my telepathic thoughts. Words were not needed among us. Telepathy was the norm for Brogio’s kindred and mine. Even Selene, Brogio’s wife, who had been slow to pick up our silent communication, now rarely used unnecessary spoken words.

“Hell hounds. These specific hell hounds are an indication that Hecate is returning.”

Hecate?Who’s Hecate?

Nova had now transitioned back to her beautiful form. She glanced from Kane to me and then back to our brother. My progeny of wolves slid into our circle, the six of them almost knocking us down with excitement. Joker slammed so hard into Gaspar that he almost lost a floppy ear, which his pack mate attempted to slice off with razor-sharp fangs. Scrawny immediately seconded my question. Hecate?

Hecate, the Greek goddess of witches! Kane’s voice rang in all of our heads.

Another Goddess to try and mess with our lives? I growled my displeasure. Enough of this! I took off at a dead run. This was a challenge to our territory. Come! Protect what’s ours. I looked back at the others to follow me.

Kane immediately took flight in the form of a huge condor. My pack and I scoured the woods, noses to the ground. On the snowy forest floor, we spread out wide and moved fast, swiftly moving through brush and fir trees, trying to scent the elusive, vicious Rottweilers. I followed a faint line of sulfur, and the wolves joined me, locking on to the stink of the hell dogs. A distant hiss from above alerted us that Kane had spotted something. He landed just in front of us and morphed back from bird to man as he ran. Feathers became pale, naked skin. Claws became feet with legs. Arms sprouted, and the lines between human and bird became blurred as he evolved. It never ceased to fascinate me.

The pack and I were alerted to the hell hounds some 50 yards ahead of us. They suddenly reappeared together beneath a clearing in the trees. Fangs bared, foam dripped from their angry mouths, daring us to approach.

Kane ran headlong, smashing into the crouched dogs. They all were knocked backward by the force of the collision. When the hounds recovered, they went for Kane’s exposed throat. He jumped so high that they missed, but not before he reached down and tore open the shoulder of one with his fingernails. The other two slammed into the nearby trees, temporarily stunned. The pack was on the three of them before they could react. Thor, the fearless warrior, bit into the hind legs of the largest of the three, generating a cry of agony. I charged into the scrimmage, but Nova almost knocked me down, blocking me and biting off a piece of jowl from the third and broadest dog. Gaspar, Scrawny and Fergus surrounded the hound with the torn jowl, backing it against a copse of bushes. Joker and Chase jumped on the dog with the injured shoulder. Kane immediately landed behind the bushes and reached over to seize the intruder with the wounded jowl and toss him against a fir tree. Nova scurried after and stood menacingly in front of it. Was she trying to protect me? I felt an unexpected thrill at the hope that she might care about my well-being.

As we held them at a stalemate, I registered surprise that the venom my pack had inherited from me hadn’t killed the Rottweilers or at least affected them in some negative way.

I was about to ask Kane what we should do with the wounded hounds when the demon dogs began to glow. A bright emerald light surrounded each of them. The stink of what Kane called sulfur assaulted our sinuses. Everything appeared to shift and tremble. The three hell dogs began to shimmer and fade, growing invisible. Then they vanished. Again.

The pack scratched and sniffed at the snow, whining and walking in circles searching for the demon dogs. I looked to Kane for guidance.

It’s as I suspected. Hecate. It has to be. Kane ran his slender fingers through his long, dark hair. His dark eyes flashed as he shook his head. These hell dogs always bark an announcement of Hecate’s approach.

What does this mean to us? I sat back on my haunches in expectation as the pack continued to circle and paw at the frozen ground.

Let me gather my thoughts while we head home. I need a glass of wine. Kane marched on toward the house, his naked backside glowing in the moonlight. He struck a handsome figure. His wide, strong shoulders and back joined a small waist and muscled legs. No wonder human and vampire ladies fawned all over him. He could only be outdone by Brogio, my master and our sire. I snorted at my own musings. Then, I commanded the others to follow. We will have answers soon enough.